Grain-tally



(No Model.) v

T. SANDFORD. Grain Tally.

N9. 230,824. Patented Au 3, 1880.

\Niinesses; In'venio r;

NITED STATES PATENT Erica.

GRAlN-TALLY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,824, dated. August3, 1880. Application filed May 31, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMBROOK SANDFORD, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Safety Attachments for Grain- Elevator Scales, of which the followingis a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to improved safety attachments for grain-elevatorscales; and it consists in the devices hereinafter described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

The hopper of a grain-elevator scale consists usually of arectangularshaped receptacle having a valve at its top operated by ahand-lever for the purpose of admitting and shutting off the grain atwill, and at its bottom a rectangular-shaped board hinged at one side,forming a valve, which may be opened or closed by the movement of acrank at the outside of the receptacle, the lower portions of the sidesof the hopper converging downward and inward around the saidrectangular-shaped board. \Vhen the elevator is operated, the valve atthe bottom of the hopper being closed, the valve admitting the grain isopened by pushing the lever to one side. After a sufficient quantity ofgrain has entered the hopper this valve is closed by reversing themovement of the lever, and the outlet-valve at the bottom opened byturning the crank, allowing the grain to escape. Each hopper of grain.is weighed, and an exact tally thereof must be made by the operator.This tally is usually made in a book kept for that purpose. If by anyaccident or mistake the valve at the top of the hopper should be openedfor the purpose of receiving a second charge of grain before the lowervalve has been closed, the grain would escape through the hopper withoutbein g weighed at the rate of about eighty pounds or more in a second oftime. A mistake of this kind renders void the weighing of the wholecargo of grain and causes very serious inconvenience.

The object of the first part of my invention is to provide an automaticmeans for tallying the number of charges of grain passing through thehopper independently of the tally kept by theoperator, and of the secondpart of the invention to produce a means which will be operated by themovement of the connections of the lower valve to serve as a bar to theopeningofthe inlet-valve until the outlet-valve has been closed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective viewof the hopper of a grainelevator scale. Fig. 2 is a central verticalsection of same. Fig. 3 is alike view, showing the inlet-valve barredand the outletvalve open; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the devicesusually employed for opening and closing the outlet-valve.

A indicates the hopper; B, the usual inlet at the top, containinga valvewhich is opened or closed by the sweep of the lever D. E rep resents theinwardly-converging sides of the hopper, and F the outlet-valve, whichin reality constitutes the bottom proper of the receptacle, and ishinged at one side or end to one of the sides E.

At the edge of the valve F, opposite to its hinge a, is pivoted orsecured in an eye the lower end of the rod H, which passes upward to oneside, and is pivoted at its upper end to one end of the crank-arm I, theother end of which is secured upon the end of a shaft, J, passingthrough the side of the hopper, and provided on its outer end with acrank, K, whereby hand-power may be applied when desired.

The above is a description of the hopper as now constructed, in theoperation of which, the valve F being closed, the inlet is opened andthe grain admitted. After a sufficient quantity has entered the hopperthe inletB is closed, and the valve F opened by throwing the arm I androd H toward the center of the hopper, which is accomplished by apartial revolution of the crank K. After the charge has been tallied andallowed to escape, the valve F is closed by a reverse movement of thecrank K, and the inlet B then opened to again admit grain.

The attachment constituting the first part of my invention consists ofanindicator, M, which is preferably rectangular or circular in form andsuspended from the root of the hop per and having apertures 11 initssides.

The bottom of the indicator will consist, preferably, of a sheet-ironplate, (I, hinged tq the lower edge of the box at c, and having an'extension, f, which passes beyond the hinge e, and has pivotallysecured, by an eye or otherwise, upon the central portion of its uppersurface the lower end of the rod h, which extends upward through anaperture in the roof of the hopper and connects with any suitable formof registering apparatus that will operate to tally the charges of grainby the vertical movement of the rod it. As the grain enters the hopperit fills beneath and around the indicator M, and enters the same throughthe apertures b, filling it, or nearly so. \Vhen the grain is allowed toescape that portion within the indicator forces the bottom (I open andescapes, after which the bottom of its own weight closes. The opening ofthe bottom (1 drives the extension f and rod It upward, therebyactuating the registering mechanism. This movement occurs as each chargeof grain passes through the hopper, and each charge is consequentlyregistered or tallied. After the grain has passed from the indicator-boxthe bottom will be closed again by the weight of the extension f and rodh. The bottom of the indicator is prevented from opening at the wrongtime by the weight of the grain on the extension f.

The construction of the second part of my invention is shown in Figs. 2and 3, in which i indicates a bar suspended at about its center by thehanger on, so as to oscillate freely thereon when actuated.

\Vhen the bar 1' is in position one of its ends comes just over the armI, while the other end extends inward in line with the sweep of the saidarm, and has pivoted or otherwise secured in its extremity the lower endof the rod 12, which passes upward through an aperture in the roof ofthe hopper in appropriate relation to the lever 1).

Upon the rod a, above the hopper, is arranged the coiled spring I, thetension of which is exerted to draw the rod upward. [nthat part of theapparatus directly above the hopper will beformed or attached a suitableguide, in which the upper end of the rod or will be thrust by its upwardmovement and braced against any lateral pressure.

After the hopper has received the required amount of grain theinlet-valve is closed by the lever D, and the outlet-valve F openedlbyturning the crank K to throw the upper ends of the arm I and rod Hinward, as aforesaid. The upper ends of the arm I and rod H being throwninward are withdrawn from under the outer end of the bar 11, leaving itunsupported,

when the spring t will draw the rod n upward in front of the lever D,preventing it from bein g moved. The upward movement of the rod n, ofcourse, raises the inner end of the bar i and depressesthe outer end.This'is the condition of the hopper while discharging its grain. Afterthe grain has all run out the crank K is turned to its former position,thereby lifting the arm I and rod to the position they occupied beforeopening the valve F. This upward movement of the arm I and rod H bringstheir upper ends against the outer end of the bar 2, carryii'lg it backto its former position, and thereby lowering its inner end and the rod nto theirformer position, when the lever D may be again operated to openthe inlet B, allowing the'grain to enter the hopper, as before.

It will be observed that the opening of the lower valve, F, operates therod n to bar the moving of the lever D to open the inlet B, and that theclosing of the valveF withdraws the rod 'n from the lever D and 'permitsthe inlet to be opened at will.

I do not limit myself to the exact form or arrangement of the mechanismherein described; but I What I claim as my invention, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. As an attachment for a grain-elewttorscale hopper, the indicator-boxM, having apertures in its sides, and provided with a hinged bottom, (I,having an extensiomf, supporting the rod h, substantially as specified.I

2. Au attachment for grainelevator-scale hoppers which may be actuatedby opening the escape-valve to thrust a rod upward in front of the leverwhich operates the inletvalve to prevent said valve being opened uir tilthe escape-valve has been closed, substantially as set forth.

3. Ina grainelevator-scale hopper having an inlet-valve and anoutlet-valve operated by a rod, H, and arm I, the pivotally-secured bari, supporting the rod n, provided with the spring t, substantially asspecified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing improvement in safetyattachments for grainelevator scales, as above described, I havehereunto set my hand this 27th day of May, 1880.

TIME 00K SANDFORD.

Witnesses:

WM. BRO. SMITH, CHAS. O. GILL.

